Bicycle-saddle



(No Model.)

A. c. DRURY au E. SIMS.

BICYCLE SADDLE.

No. 569,326. Patented Oct. 13, 1896.

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UNITED STAT-ES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED C. DRURY AND GEORGE E. SIMS, OF CANTON, NEV YORK.

SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent N o. 569,326, dated October 13, 1896.

Application filed March 25, 1896.

-to provide a saddle in which the pommel is i omitted and the front edge of the saddle upon each side of the center provided with a pneumatic pad, whereby the pressure upon the thighs is obviated, the main body of the saddle being padded with felt or other soft material upon which the tuberosities may rest.

The invention consists in an improved saddle embodying certain novel features and details of construction, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and finally pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the saddle. Fig. 2 is a reverse plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the same. Fig. 4L is a detail perspective view of the inflatable tube.

Similar numerals of reference design ate corresponding parts in the several figures of' the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the improved saddle therein illustrated comprises a base 1 somewhat resembling a triangle, as shown in Fig. 2, said base being curved upward toward the rear so as to bring its rear edge into a higher plane than its front edge, so as to form a back against which the rider may brace. Wrhile the base 1 may be made of any material, we prefer to construct the same of wood, and in this case the clip 2, which receives the rear end of the spring 3, is extended laterally each way from the center of the rear edge of the saddle to form reinforcing-segments et, which immediately un derlie and are secured to the rear edge of the wooden base.

To the front edge and lower surface of the base l is secured a metal reinforcing-strip 5, and this strip is provided at a central point with a threaded socket for the reception of Serial No. 584,803. (ll'o model.)

the screw G, which passes through and secures the front end of the spring 3 to the saddle-base. The reinforcing-strip 5 is also provided with an offset 7, allowing of the formation of a notch or recess 8, in which the valvestem of the inflating-tube, hereinafter described, is received.

The upper surface of the base 1 has arranged thereon two or more thicknesses of felt or a single section of molded felt or other soft flexible material constituting the padding of the saddle. The lower pieces or laye'rs of the padding (indicated at 9) terminate short of the front edge of the saddle, while the upper piece or layer extends to or beyond such edge of the saddle. The upper layer may, however, terminate at the front edges of the underlying layers.

The saddle-cover (indicated at 10) may be of any suitable material, such as leather or plush, and is tacked at its edge to the edge of the base or secured in any other convenient manner. A hollow space or cavity is thus left at the front edge of the saddle and upon each side of the center thereof at the points where the thighs of' the rider would bear. Within this space or cavity is arranged a rubber inflating tube or sack 11, (shown in detail in Fig. 4,) and this tube or sack has at the proper point a tubular valve-stem 12, provided with a valve of any preferred or ordinary description which Will allow of the inflation and defiation of the tube. The tube or sack is protected by means of a textile bag or covering 14n, which incloses the same and prevents the tube or sack fromwearing against the front edge of the base. The valve-stern passes through an aperture in this cover or bag and down between the edge of the saddle-cover and the base 1 and through the notch 8, above referred to, whereby the valvestem is protected against abrasion.

The cover or upholstery of the saddle is left full at the front edge of the saddle, so that 'when the tube or sack is inflated such cover or upholstery will be projected in advance of the front edge of the saddle, thus receiving the pressure of the thighs and preventing their bearing against the edge of the base.

By means of the construction above described there is no pommel to chafe or otherwise injure the rider, a firm, broad, non-viloo brating padded support is provided for the tuberosities, and the saddle is also provided with a pneumatic front edge which relieves all pressure against the thighs.

The objection to pneumatic saddles has been that while they were very soft andA comfortable to the rider still they would allow the rider to wabble from side to side, thus interfering to some extent with the proper guiding and management of the machine. The present invention places the pneumatic feature just where it is most needed, and at the same time affords a saddle which will give the rider a steady and iirm seat.

Changes in the form, proportion,and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing` from the spirit or sacriticing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isl. A saddle for cycles comprising asuitable base, a flexible cover secured to and extending over said base, padding inserted between the base and its cover and terminating in rear of the front edge of the saddle-base, and an inflatable tube or sack located at the front edge of the saddle, between the base and its cover and in the hollow or cavity made by the termination of the padding, substantially as described.

2. A saddle for cycles, comprising a base curving upward toward its rear edge and having the reinforcing-strips at its front and rear edges, the front strip being formed with an offset and having a notch therein, a flexible cover extending over the base o'f the saddle, the padding interposed between the base and cover and terminating short of the front edge of the saddle, and the iniiatabletube or sack arranged in advance of the padding and between the base and cover and having its valvestem arranged in the notch of thefront reinforcing-strip, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED C. DRURY. GEORGE E. SIMS. Vitnesses:

GUY RUssELL, J. RAwsoN. 

